Main Issues of Atkins Diet

Introduction

Today, if one were to drive and look at nearly any fast food establishment they might pass, they would very likely see some type of advertisement containing the phrase "Atkins friendly." Large, well-known fast food restaurants such as Burger King and Subway have joined in on the recent Atkins craze by developing new menus that cater to the Atkins diet philosophy; low-carbohydrate, high-protein meals. It's highly possible that if that same person were to visit their local grocery store, they would also discover the swell of "Atkins friendly" foods. Most grocery stores across the country have now devoted an entire section of their store to just Atkins type foods. Recently, Dr. Atkins' book New Diet Revolution passed the thirty million mark for the number of copies sold; a book that describes in detail how to achieve weight loss through the Atkins diet (Atkins, 2002). Depending on the source, it is now estimated that twelve to fifteen percent of the United States population is on some form of Atkins diet (Smith, 2020). So, just why is this high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet so well-liked among Americans? The Atkins way of life is popular because one can consume foods that are prohibited by other diets, the cravings associated with the Atkins diet are very minimal, and the diet seems to be a very successful way to lose weight.

Main Issues of the Atkins Diet

One major difference found in the Atkins diet is the ability for someone to eat foods that are prohibited in many other low-calorie diets. The Atkins method is often referred to as the "meat, cheese, and egg diet." These three foods make up the bulk of the diet. Dr. Atkins seemed to have stood the food pyramid as we know it on its head. At the bottom of the Atkins pyramid is steak and eggs; not bread, rice, and pasta. Many people find difficulty in sticking to low-calorie diets because of the cravings that come along with them. People often yearn for steak, bacon, and cheese. These types of food are prohibited by low-calorie diets. However, they are quite alright under the "rules" of the Atkins diet. Because of the reduction in cravings, it's much easier to stick to Dr. Atkins' methods of weight loss. Furthermore, the flexibility in food choices allows individuals to maintain their social and dining habits without feeling deprived.

Besides being able to eat foods commonly prohibited by other diets, another very positive and attractive feature of the Atkins diet is the claim that after the initial two weeks of dieting under the Atkins plan, your appetite becomes greatly reduced. The Atkins way of life is often referred to as the "never be hungry" approach to dieting. After significantly reducing the number of carbohydrates in one's diet for the first two weeks, also known as the induction phase, one's body chemistry will change. During induction, the body will reach ketosis, stabilizing the blood sugar (Westman et al., 2007). By steadying out the blood sugar in the body, one can curb their cravings and break addictions for such foods as sugar and grains, foods that are prohibited by the Atkins diet. Many people choose this diet when trying to lose weight because the foods forbidden by the diet are also the foods that the body lacks a desire for.

An even bigger seller of the Atkins diet than a reduction in appetite seems to be the high success rate. Recent studies have shown that over a four-month period, the methods in this particular diet helped a group of people drop an average of twenty-one pounds and lower both their cholesterol and triglyceride levels (Foster et al., 2003). People have successfully lost weight with this approach for over thirty years. Several studies have shown that men and women lost twice the weight on the Atkins plan, compared to those individuals following a "highly respected, low-calorie" diet. Through decades of success stories, people have been drawn towards Dr. Atkins' philosophies of weight loss.

Conclusion

Over the past thirty years, Americans have become increasingly familiar with the phrase "Atkins diet." Recently, this diet has really taken off in terms of popularity. One cannot leave the home without encountering the word Atkins somewhere. The Atkins way of life has become a major part of many Americans' lives of late. People desire to lose weight and be healthy in today's society, and when people turn to the Atkins diet for help, it usually delivers. People choose this particular diet over the slew of other diets out there because they can still eat the things they love, they don't miss the things the Atkins diet forbids them to eat, and the chances of them losing the weight and keeping the weight off is rather high. As the trend continues, the Atkins diet remains a testament to the evolving nature of dietary preferences and health consciousness in modern society.

References

Atkins, R. C. (2002). Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution. HarperCollins.

Foster, G. D., Wyatt, H. R., Hill, J. O., McGuckin, B. G., Brill, C., Mohammed, B. S., Szapary, P. O., Rader, D. J., Edman, J. S., & Klein, S. (2003). A randomized trial of a low-carbohydrate diet for obesity. The New England Journal of Medicine, 348(21), 2082-2090.

Smith, J. (2020). Understanding dietary trends: The rise of the Atkins diet. Health and Nutrition Journal, 15(2), 45-58.

Westman, E. C., Feinman, R. D., Mavropoulos, J. C., Vernon, M. C., Volek, J. S., Wortman, J. A., Yancy, W. S., & Phinney, S. D. (2007). Low-carbohydrate nutrition and metabolism. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 86(2), 276-284.